Melting Ice Men by Nele Azevedo

Hundreds of tiny ice men were painstakingly sculpted by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo, only to melt immediately after they were installed on the hot streets. Of course, this outcome was expected. Azevedo was making a statement about global warming and its effects on ice in the Arctic, depicted in a very literal way. The sculptures were captured on film as they melted, starting out straight-backed and gradually slumping lower and lower as the sun beat down on them.

Ice Cars

Are these full-sized ice cars amazing or what? Parked on a public street, the VW at top must have been quite a draw as people stopped for a second look. Other ice cars include a a McLaren F1 racing car made for McLaren’s 40th anniversary at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix, a six-and-a-half ton Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet for the 2006 British International Motor show and a replica of a Saab Aero X, fittingly placed in Sweden’s IceHotel.

Ice Carriage

Maybe it’s not life-sized, but the detail in this sculpture of a carriage is quite impressive. Displayed in Holland for ‘Magic Ice 2006′, the carriage is every bit the crystalline vision imagined by little girls everywhere.

Ice Castles of St. Petersburg

In 2006 and 2007 in St. Petersburg, Russia, an ice palace was erected by a team of 14 master ice artists using three tons of ice blocks from nearby lakes. The Ice Palace is a replica of the original built to honor the 10th anniversary of Empress Anna’s reign in 1740; it stood nearly 20 feet tall and covered over 1,000 square feet. The weather in St. Petersburg in February, when the sculptures were displayed, hovers around zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Amazing Sculptures at the China Ice Festival

In a nation known for putting on spectacular displays, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival still manages to stand out as an extraordinary sight. Held annually in an area of Northeast China known for its snow and ice-centered culture, the festival includes hundreds of massive, complex ice and snow sculptures, many made with lasers. Multi-colored lights are used to give the sculptures an even more otherworldly feel.